U.S. House · Illinois's 17th District
Dillan Vancil
CandidateR
- Race
- U.S. House · Illinois's 17th District
- Result
- Eric Sorensen, projected winner
- Opponent
- Eric Sorensen (D)
- Research
- Basic
Party linenone
No recorded floor votes — not a current legislator in our records.
Said vs. did4 statements · 0 votes
reversing the war on reliable baseload power and letting us start burning coal again, expanding natural gas, and investing in safe nuclear
Faster transition away from fossil fuels
Compare statements with votes ›On the ballotU.S. House · 17
2026-11-03
| Eric Sorensen D | incumbent |
| Dillan Vancil R | challenger |
Won the March 17, 2026 Republican primary with 58.4% of the vote
Said vs. did
Each documented position next to the recorded floor votes we map to the same issue. Votes are compared one at a time; no overall stance is inferred from them.
reversing the war on reliable baseload power and letting us start burning coal again, expanding natural gas, and investing in safe nuclear
Says his first priority is to unleash American energy by letting coal be burned again, expanding natural gas and investing in nuclear.[5]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
anything that amounts to a sustained war or regime‑change campaign must come back to Congress for explicit authorization and ongoing oversight
Says the President should be able to order limited military strikes without waiting for Congress, but that a sustained war or regime-change campaign must return to Congress for explicit authorization.[5]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
I've had to work for everything that I've earned in my life. Why shouldn't they
Praised the Medicaid work requirements in the 2025 reconciliation law, according to WGLT.[6]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
It seems to be working. More time will tell on how that will all play out
Described himself as leery of the Trump tariffs but said they seem to be working, per WGLT.[6]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Biography
Dillan Vancil, a Republican former railroad engineer and founder of the Dame Fine Coffee shop chain in west-central Illinois, lost the November 3, 2026 election for U.S. House in Illinois's 17th District to Eric Sorensen. He has served on the West Central school board and won the March 2026 Republican primary over Carroll County Board Chair Julie Bickelhaupt.[1][2][3][4]
Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.
Vancil was born in Illinois and graduated from West-Central High School, according to his questionnaire answers to Tri States Public Radio, which listed his age as 33 as of March 17, 2026.[1][3] According to NPR Illinois, he worked as a railroad engineer before becoming a business owner. He is the founder and CEO of Dame Fine Coffee, a chain of coffee shops in west-central Illinois and eastern Iowa (NPR Illinois reported seven shops in August 2025); the name is an acronym of his family members' first names.[2][3]
Vancil served on the West Central School Board, where he was vice president, and WTTW's voter guide lists that service as 2021 to 2025. He also lists membership on the Eagleview Community Health board and the Monmouth Chamber of Commerce board.[1][3][7] He lives west of Monmouth, Illinois, according to NPR Illinois, and told the outlet he entered the race because he wants to make it easier to start and grow small businesses.[2]
Vancil won the March 17, 2026 Republican primary for the 17th District with 58.4% of the vote over Julie Bickelhaupt (41.6%).[8] He described his campaign as focused on small business, energy, and affordability.[1][2][3] He received 39.8% of the vote to Eric Sorensen's 60.2%, according to unofficial results reported by NBC News.[4]
Campaign money$309K raised · 91% from individuals · FEC through 2026-06-30
Totals this cycle
Bars share one scale (raised = full). Cash on hand can include money carried over from earlier cycles.
Who gave
- Individuals $282K
- PACs & committees $11K
- Own money & loans $17K
Largest committee contributions
- A Brthd Aimed Toward Educ of Il Fed Elec Device for Politically Active Motorcyclists... PAC$2,500
- Mary Miller for Congress Candidate committee$2,000
- App Big Family PAC PAC$1,000
Direct contributions only; outside spending is not included. Individual donors are itemized in the FEC’s receipts. All itemized receipts ↗ FEC filing ↗
Profile: /people/dillan-vancil
Compare all 2 candidates side by side ›
Sources cited in this profile
- 1.Dillan Vancil (Illinois) · Ballotpedia Reference
- 2.GOP candidate for 17th Congressional District is active early this election cycle · NPR Illinois · 2025-08-12 News report
- 3.Meet the Republican primary candidates for Illinois' 17th Congressional District · Tri States Public Radio · 2026-02-13 News report
- 4.U.S. House, Illinois's 17th District results 2026 · NBC News News report
- 5.2026 Election Questionnaire: Dillan Vancil, U.S. House of Representatives, 17th District · Shaw Local · 2026-02-18 Candidate's own words
- 6.GOP candidate for 17th Congressional District is active early this election cycle · WGLT · 2025-08-12 News report
- 7.Dillan Vancil · WTTW News report
- 8.Eric Sorensen · Ballotpedia Reference